The Gallaudet Engineering Company had built some interesting prototypes for the US Navy during 1917-8. The newly-named Gallaudet Aircraft Corporation received a contract from the US Army Air Service in 1921 covering the design and supply of three PW-4 single-seat
biplane fighters of all-metal construction. Intended powerplant was the 261kW Packard 1A-1237, but after the first example (64385) had been delivered to McCook Field in 1922 and failed to survive its static tests, the two remaining examples were cancelled.

The interesting Gallaudet PW-4 was of all-metal construction, with a bulky fuselage and large Packard engine. The structure was its undoing, for this could not take the strain of static load tests. The prototype was scrapped without flying, and the other two were scrapped before completion.